Puppy News ALL 2011 PUPS HAVE BEEN PLACED; PLEASE CHECK BACK WITH US IN SPRING 2012 FOR OUR NEXT LITTER. Here is the information on our 2011 litter: Jasmine's puppies were born July 9, 2011 -she had 11 pups, blacks and yellows! Mother and all puppies are doing great. Dam is our Whispering Pines Sweet Jasmine JH (Jasmine) and Sire is AM/CAN/UKC CH Poplar Forest Play It Again Sam, MH (Sam) from Deep Run Retrievers in Goldvein, Virginia. Sam is one of a very few Labradors that have achieved both Conformation Champion as well as a Master Hunter titles. If you are interested in one of Jasmine's puppies, please visit our Puppy Information page for much more information & links to our Questionnaire and Sales Agreement. SCROLL DOWN TO BOTTOM OF PAGE TO WATCH VIDEOS OF JASMINE AND THE PUPPIES! We are expecting the puppies to be intelligent, loving labs with great retrieving drive. They will make excellent family companions, working dogs, and/or hunting dogs with the proper training. We ask that visitors wait until the puppies are 4 weeks old before visiting, since they are very susceptible to germs, viruses etc. The puppies will be ready for their new homes at 8 weeks old (September 3rd). Cost is $1,100 and includes vet check, worming, first set of shots, AKC registration papers, going home info packet, an 8 lb bag of dog food, a 26-month health guarantee and all the love and attention we can give them in their first 8 weeks. They are also exposed to all the sights and sounds in our home, and even swim in our pond, weather permitting. We do everything possible to make sure all of our puppies get off to a wonderful start, are well-socialized and happy, healthy puppies. Weekly updates with videos will be posted on the Puppy Blog at the bottom of this page . We choose to use Deep Run studs because they operate one of the finest breeding, training and canine health care facilities in North America. Owners Phyllis Giroux, DVM CAC and Jack Jagoda, co-founder and past president of the North American Hunting Retriever Association (NAHRA), have the absolute best all-round labs available. Their pups have earned over 300 field test and hunt test titles. They conduct numerous clinics and seminars on national radio and television broadcasts including ESPN, TNN, Outdoor Life, Animal Planet and the Outdoor Channel. Since Phyllis specializes in canine reproduction, we feel confident leaving our girls with her during the breeding process. More Info from Deep Run on Sam: Sam completed AKC Master Hunter Title in June of 2008, and his AKC Championship on July 5, 2008, with multiple Best of Breed wins over Specials. He was 40 months old when he completed his CH, making him the YOUNGEST Champion Master Hunter in the history of the breed. In August of 2008 he completed his Canadian Championship in one week of showing with a Sporting Group 1. Additionally, Sam completed his UKC Championship in one weekend of showing, with two Group 1's, a Group 3 and two Group 4's. THREE CHAMPION TITLES and a MASTER HUNTER TITLE in ONE YEAR!!! Sam is currently running in Field Trials, and we hope to get him Qualified All Age. Sam is very outgoing friendly, and is very intelligent. He loves to please, and loves to work. He is a natural water dog, loves icy water and has a great thick double coat to keep him comfortable in all sorts of weather. He is a great marker with a natural good memory for multiple falls. He is very athletic, and loves to run and play with the other dogs here at Deep Run Farm. Sam was a star in the show ring, his soundness, sporty movement, and breed type caught the eye of the judges who gave him his wins. To those judges, we are grateful for recognizing this great young dog. Sam's father is CH Sundance's Paddy's Irish Cream, CD MH. Sam's mother, Am, Can CH Pembroke Black Mist Poplar Forest, MH, WCX is the youngest CH, MH in the history of the breed. Sam is OFA Excellent, OFA Elbows, CERF, OFA Cardiac (Doppler), Optigen A, EIC Clear and CNM Clear. Full Dentition. Sire: AM/CAN/UKC CH POPLAR FOREST PLAY IT AGAIN SAM, MH (Sam) Dam: WHISPERING PINES SWEET JASMINE JH (Jasmine)   Jasmine Sam Back to Top

Puppy Blog

2011 NEWBORN VIDEO

If the video does not play in the box below, please CLICK HERE to view on youtube

July 9, 2011, Jasmine Surprises Us! It was 2 days before her due date and Jasmine was not nesting or having contractions, so Bill and I decided it was safe to walk down to the neighbors for a few minutes. The neighbors were pretty talkative, so an hour later we got back home. Bill walked in the office where the whelping box is, went over to say hello to Jasmine, and lo and behold, there was a little black puppy laying right next to her! It was her very first pup (this is her first litter) and she had already cleaned him all off and was sitting there very proud of herself! We can't imagine what she thought when she first saw him, and felt pretty guilty for taking that walk. Anyway, between 10:30am and 4 pm, she had 9 puppies! Each one was cleaned off and put with Jasmine to nurse. Again, we were surprised because the xrays at the veterinarian's the week before had shown only 5-6 pups. After speaking with our veterinarian, we gave her a shot which stimulates contractions and helps pass any afterbirth. Then 2 more surprises - puppy #10 and #11 were born! Jasmine had 6 black males, 3 black females, 1 yellow male and 1 yellow female, all healthy and weighing between 13-15 oz. It was an exciting and tiring day for all of us, but new mother Jasmine did a super job with all the puppies. We are looking forward to watching the puppies grow day by day.

2011 WEEK 1

The first week has flown by! Jasmine is an excellent mother. She is in with the puppies almost constantly, feeding them, keeping them clean and cleaning up after them. Jasmine's stomach was upset most of the week, but she is much better now. Eleven hungry puppies is alot of mouths to feed, so we decided to give the puppies a milk supplement twice a day in addition to momma's milk. They took to the baby bottles right away, and almost all have already doubled their weight in the first week. They mostly eat, sleep and poop right now, but are starting to try pushing up with their legs. And they know when momma is around by their sense of smell and crawl right over to her. Puppies are born with their eyes and ears closed, but they will start opening next week. Then, watch out Jasmine! We started the Early Neurological Stimulation exercises on Day 3 which will continue until Day 16. See the 2010 Puppy Blog for a video about these exercises.

2011 WEEK 2

Another week and the puppies have changed so much! They have all more than doubled their birth weight (all between 2 and 3 lbs), which is an excellent sign that they are healthy and getting enough to eat. We are still feeding them a milk supplement twice a day. Their eyes started to open around Day 11, and they are now looking at a big new world. They are wobbly-walking around their box. Sometimes they bark so loud, they knock themselves right over. It's funny to hear their little puppy howls too.

2011 WEEK 3

The puppies are just so sweet this week! They are all over 3 lbs now, are barking, howling, and playing and wrestling with each other. They all had their toenails clipped again because they grow so fast. They are still nursing from Jasmine, but they are starting to get their puppy teeth! We will start to wean them next week onto a soupy mash. Bill enclosed the whelping box with a larger x-pen. Our grandson William helped the pups feel comfortable in the x-pen and they were very adventurous exploring the new area.

2011 WEEK 4

These puppies are so smart! We started weaning them on Friday and none of them even hesitated, they just dove right in to their bowl. They love their mash and are really growing - some over 5 lbs now! They are getting their puppy teeth and starting bite each other's ears and tails, and our toes too! Bill built a ramp for the pups to get in and out of their whelping box and they needed just a little bit of encouragement and practice to figure it out. We had lots of visitors this weekend so the puppies had plenty of playtime and socialization. New puppy owners, here are some ESSENTIAL PUPPY ITEMS to look for: tip-proof stainless steel water and food bowls, a crate and blanket, correct collar and leash for their size, toys (rubber kong-type toys, ropes, stuffed toys with supervision - please no rawhide or "greenies" - they are indigestable and can cause stomach problems), gates for "off-limits" areas. Next week, the puppies will have some fun adventures in the Great Outdoors!

2011 WEEK 5

The weather was beautiful here in West Virginia this week, so the puppies had lots of outside play time in their very own puppy yard. They have a baby pool, a big crate and a Playschool barn to play in. They were funny to watch as they stepped in the grass for the first time! Some like to explore more than others, but all had fun playing. We've been shooting a cap gun when they eat, and running the vacuum cleaner to de-sensitize them to loud noises. They are eating kibble soaked in bottled water to soften it, and just gobble up their food. Jasmine's role has changed from chief food source and clean up, to teacher and playmate. She nurses them occasionally, but disciplines them when they get too rough on her. A little push with her nose and a growl warns them not to bite too hard. They now weigh between 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 lbs with Denali (blue ribbon) still the heavyweight.

2011 WEEK 6

The puppies had lots of visitors this week and enjoyed meeting everyone! Now they know where the outside door is, and as soon as they are out of their pen they run right to the door (getting them back in again is another story!). They are eating dry kibble now and we feed them outside too. Which is really good since they are learning to potty outside. Their new families will need to continue the house training. This week was filled with new toys, different surfaces, sounds and scary things like umbrellas - all part of the "enrichment" stage of puppy development. We placed some kibble in a tunnel, a cardboard box, an upside-down trash can lid, and a piece of plexiglass in the yard and watched their reactions. The trash can lid and plexiglass were new surfaces and wobbly. Every puppy checked out the new, strange things and promptly began playing with them, dragging them around the yard and having a big time! We showed them a closed umbrella then opened and closed it, no problem-o. They heard thunder and sirens too and even played in a light rain shower. The puppies weigh between 7 and 8 lbs now and only have 2 more weeks to wait to be with their new families! We recommend new families take their puppy to their vet for an exam the week they pick him up, and schedule an appointment for the second set of shots around 9/26/11.

2011 WEEK 7 & Up to 8/29/11

This week went by quickly with lots of playtime, visitors, and a trip to the veterinarian on 8/29/11. The puppies got their first set of shots, an exam and a clean bill of health from our vet Dr. Cosgrove (lots of cuddling by Dr. C and the vet techs too). The puppies weigh between 8.4 - 10.6 lbs, with Denali still the heavyweight. Our niece Katie was visiting for the week and was a big help feeding and playing with the puppies - she's a natural! The puppies all got a bath thanks to help from Katie, Jean & Peggy. No whining or whimpering either, but they sure liked the treats we gave them (Tasty Rewards available at MotherNaturesPetShop.com). We got a little shake from the East coast earthquake, but lucky for us no damage. Only a few more days until the pups get to go home with their new families - we will surely miss these lovable, playful puppies!

2011 WEEK 8

Well, the house is alot quieter now! Puppy Day, as always, was a contradiction for us. We are very happy that our puppies went to such wonderful families, but also sad to let them go. But it was time and they were ready to be the center of attention with their new families. And we still have 3 pups to make us smile (Hook is being picked up on 9/7, we are keeping Wonder, and little Keetna is still available). These 3 had a special treat and went swimming in the pond with Jasmine on Sunday. They had loads of fun chasing Jasmine around, followed her right into the pond and started swimming all on their own! It was really fun to watch their natural instinct kick in. A small pond, lake or pool is the ideal place to introduce a puppy to swimming. Be sure there is a family member in the water to encourage & help. Have a favorite toy, training bumper or stick on hand for them to fetch. Once they get the idea, you'll find it hard to keep them out of the water! We hope all the new puppy families have a great time with their new pup! Please keep in touch and remember to send pictures.

2011 WEEK 12